When we think about 911 calls, we often think of emergencies and distress.
Anybody who receives such a call is often on the edge of their seats, ready to spring for help as most cases would mean a life is on the line.
But this story of an emergency call didn’t have all that (thankfully so).
It’s not a prank call, too. It was merely an innocent call for help. The incident turned out to be one of the most wholesome news stories you would ever read.
Twelve-year-old Ryan Paul dialed 911 because of an emergency.
A police officer in Woodbridge Police Department received the call. It was short, and all Ryan said was:
“My teddy bear fell down again. Don’t worry, I’ll rescue you again. Goodbye again. See you again,” and he hung up.
While it sounded harmless, the police officer had to follow strict protocols.
Patrolman Khari Manzini said that a police officer should return a hung-up 911 call as protocol. Then, they have to go to the area of concern to ensure that things are okay.
Officer Manzini called back and asked what the emergency was about.
Bob Paul, Ryan’s father, answered the call and was surprised that a police officer was calling them. He asked Ryan about it, and he said he called because he needed a “teddy bear rescue.” Bob explained it kindly to the young officer and apologized if it wasted the officer’s time.
Despite the assurance, Patrolman Manzini drove to Paul’s residence to double-check.
The family had already found the bear when the police officer arrived, but the visit was a perfect opportunity for Ryan to thank Officer Manzini personally. He was also thrilled to have a photo with a real police officer.
Ryan was happy to meet the officer who came to the rescue.
He also gave the officer a kind hug, which the officer appreciated. Officer Manzini was happy that everything was okay with Ryan, Freddy, and the rest of the family.
Officer Manzini even gave the media an update on the said emergency.
“We found the teddy bear. The teddy bear was okay. He was in safe hands. No injuries, nothing like that,” the officer told ABC New York like it was an update he would make for real emergencies.
Some might think it was a waste of time, but Officer Manzini understood the situation well.
He received special training at the POAC Autism Services, where he was trained to deal with children with autism. This training could come in handy, so police officers could carefully deal with emergencies involving people with autism.
As it was, his training helped him with Ryan’s 911 call.
The rookie cop shared that the training he had assured him that he could protect children with autism from further, more severe emergencies. He added that he is not alone in his advocacy but the entire police force as well.
Officer Manzini also saw a silver lining in this incident.
As he bade the family goodbye, he told his parents that he was glad Ryan knew what number to call in case of any emergency.
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